[bladerunneruk]

Okay, so I know there are multiple threads on both of these lenses and as far as I can tell they are neck and neck as far as quality and performance. The only trade offs are slightly better glass on the Tamron or the HSM on the Sigma. Honestly, I have been leaning toward the Tamron simply because of the Sigma quality horror stories.
SO, if you own these lenses, have owned these lenses, or just plain know more than me, HERE is your chance! Rant, Rave, B*tch, Praise WHATEVER. JUST HELP ME MAKE A DECISION!!!!!

edit/update: I am an idiot. here are the lenses
Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II
and the
Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro AF

This fits the "whatever" category - I have neither.

Buy the tamron.
1) cheaper <£489 vs £635
2) the sigma HSM (mkII) does not work with sigmas own 1.4x or 2x teleconverters
3) I probably won't be able to afford the pentax 60-250 which I'll get a play with on the 28th, so you can buy it for me to cheer me up ;-)

sorted, who's next !

failing that, please take one of the circular, silver two-sided patent decision makers from your pocket, decide which face represents tamron or sigma, place on thumb of right hand and flick into the air, observe visible face when it lands and go and buy accordingly - decision made, no more worries :-)

seriously though I'm in a similar situ wishing to upgrade my pentax F70-210 and it's hard work deciding on the best option especially when you have a finite budget and add a sigma100-300 or a pentax 55-300 to the decision pot, they all have pros and cons. How often will you shoot at f2.8 ? Do you want to pair with a TC for longer reach ? etc, etc

Best advice I can give is go to a shop and try them both out on your camera body. Enjoy your decision, it's only money.

[nostatic]

what i never could figure out, is why is the screw drive loud

well, I know quite a few who are loud whilst being screwed but that perhaps is another thread...

[pentaxpaul]

"seriously though I'm in a similar situ wishing to upgrade my pentax F70-210 and it's hard work deciding on the best option especially when you have a finite budget and add a sigma100-300 or a pentax 55-300 to the decision pot, they all have pros and cons. How often will you shoot at f2.8 ? Do you want to pair with a TC for longer reach ? etc, etc"

I would shoot at 2.8 all day long if I could! I denfinately need low light performance.

[Gooshin]

well, I know quite a few who are loud whilst being screwed but that perhaps is another thread...

i dunno, seems like a very good way to derail this one.

[pentaxpaul]

Okay Let me make this a bit more confusing. Asside form personal use this lens will be used primarily at weddings... Any ideas as to which would be a wiser pick? (Don't even think about bringing up the DA*50-135 , while it is a awesome lens, it doesn't have the reach that I am looking for.)

[Gooshin]

are you going to be shooting weddings from behind the bushes?

i'm not following you

edit: buy one, use it, then see for yourself.

for the longest time i thought i needed a 70-200 f2.8, then i bought one (manual focus), used it 2-3 times, and its been collecting dust ever since

i am also selling off the rest of my tele glass.

you're only going to give yourself hemorrhoids figuring this out, pick a brand, and give it a try, worst case you dont like it and then you sell it to someone.

[Vylen]

are you going to be shooting weddings from behind the bushes?

i'm not following you

maybe he has a wedding fetish? and he takes pics of weddings of people he doesnt know and isnt even invited to?

[joelovotti]

Getting back the your original question.

Go Sigma

The only thing the Tamron can claim is a slight bump in IQ but I have no idea if you can see it anywhere other than a test chart. At least I'm not aware of Sigma users complaining about IQ. I'm sure not.

What the Sigma does have:

Great build quality

Silent Focussing (great for weddings)

The action on the focus and zoom rings is silky smooth. I one finger the zoom on mine and never does it feel stiff or too quick.

I get great pics from my copy and wouldn't trade it for anything.

The look and feel of a lens is very important to me and the Sigma is a sexy lens.

The biggest problem you'll have with the Tamron is the manual focussing. With the Sigma it is a instant shift from AF to manual Focus. Just give the focus ring the lightest touch and we are in manual focus. If you want to do the same with the tamron you have to engage the lens clutch by push-pulling the focus ring and then take your hand off the lens to shift to manual focus on the camera body. If you are the kind of photographer that likes to touch up focus the tamron would be a real pain.

I'm obviously biased towards Sigma. I have the 70-200 and the 18-50 2.8 constant aperture lenses but I believe all the above to be true.

What I should say is the finish on the Sigma lens is a love-it or hate-it thing so be sure to get your hands on both lenses before you buy.

In the end it's personal. Except for the manual focus thing you couldn't go wrong either lens.

Be well,
joe

[ivoire]

I agree that the sigma would be a better choice for weddings as it is far quieter. Bear in mind that the 70-200 f2.8's are heavy and that may be a very good reason to reconsider the 50-135.

[pentaxpaul]

maybe he has a wedding fetish? and he takes pics of weddings of people he doesnt know and isnt even invited to?

yep, thats it hahaha!
Honestly, you would be surprised how usefull it is. Keeps you out of peoples faces and lets you grab some great candid stuff. (Used my buddies nikon gear one shoot).

[pentaxpaul]

Does anyone know of any good deals on the sigma right now?

[joelovotti]

Does anyone know of any good deals on the sigma right now?

Amazon.com: Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG HSM II Macro Zoom Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo

[pentaxpaul]

Not too shabby. I found a good price at sigma for less too... 664.00 before the shipping cost...
Any one had experiance with these guys?

Any one else want to put their two cents in? I am all ears. At this point the only holding me back from the sigma is the 60 dollar price difference, and yes I am that much of a cheap-skate.

[bladerunneruk]

"I would shoot at 2.8 all day long if I could! I denfinately need low light performance.

f2.8 isn't just about low light, with a 70-200 f2.8 can be quite narrow dof, have a look at Online Depth of Field Calculator, think about how close/far you will be from your subject and put the numbers in, see if you are still happy ?

you will need s/t like a 16-50 or 17-70 for photos of family groups at a wedding, the 70-200 will be too 'long' IMHO.

[pentaxpaul]

Well it looks like the Sigma has it. I will be placing my order later this afternoon. That is of course anyone else has anything more to add...